Forage in Napa Valley

Is there a more appropriate way to celebrate spring than plucking wild flowers and fruits? This spring, The Carneros Inn in Napa Valley is debuting a foraging mixology experience ($70), in which guests seek out their own herbs, fruits, and garnishes from nature and from the on-property chef’s garden. Using the mission figs, basil, lavender, thyme, pomegranate, quince and even quail eggs they find, guests work with a bartender to create a fresh concoction. Drinking to your health has a whole new meaning!

Feel the geothermal forces in Wyoming

The National Park Service agrees that spring is a great time to visit Yellowstone, with the thinner crowds and bears giving birth. Tour its magnificent valleys and the powerful Old Faithful geyser, which erupts thousands of boiling water hourly. The nearby Grand Teton National Park is famous for its staggering eponymous peak, as well as bison, eagles, and other wildlife. Tour these national parks in a luxury safari vehicle with a naturalist guide, and you'll see hot springs, geysers, mud pots, and volcanoes, as well as more than 300 species of birds along the way. Private journeys designed by Cox and Kings start at $6580 per person.

Courtesy National Cherry Blossom Festival

See the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C.

Even if you can’t travel all the way to Japan, Washington D.C. glows aplenty with delicate cherry blossom petals in the spring. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the banks of the Tidal Basin might be the best place to appreciate the flowers of the 182 new trees planted in 2011 (or jump in a paddleboat onto the basin itself ). The National Park Service predicts the flowers will peak on the weekend of April 12, which incidentally marks the tail end of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival culminates with its highlight, The 55th Annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival, packed with taiko drum performances and Japanese snack stalls.

Anthony Mair

Relax in a poolside cabana in Vegas

Whatever happens in Vegas—well, you know the drill. The draw of Sin City needs no explanation, but if the idea of baking in this desert city leaves you parched, check out Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas’s [new poolside cabanas] (http://press.fourseasons.com/lasvegas/hotel-news/2015/new-poolside-cabanas/). Offering waterfall and pool views, the cabanas include limestone-colored Janus et Cie tri-weave sofa seating, a ceiling fan, a fruit-stocked fridge, and chilled hand towels. Who needs the beach?

Festival-hop in Denver

According to American Express Travel Counselors’ list of top spring break destinations in 2015, Denver is the top non-beach destination. As luck would have it, Expedia reports that airfares to Denver saw the [largest drop] (http://www.expediainc.com/news-release/?aid=123205&fid=99&yy=2015) this year compared to 2014. Denver, which is expecting 70-degree weather this week, has plenty of free activities on offer, from chalk art festivals to outdoor concerts..

Paul Marotta/Getty Images

Sip ales on Nantucket

Pack your best windbreakers, Breton stripes and boat shoes—you don’t need to wait for summer to visit the posh vacation spot of Nantucket. This New England island has relatively fewer tourists during the shoulder season as New England begins to thaw and millions of daffodils start poking out their head. There’s even a festival dedicated to the bright flowers, though its central attraction is the antique car parade. If you still associate spring break with beer, try the renovated Nantucket Hotel’s craft brew package (called BrewInn—get it?) that combines a tour of the local Cisco Brewery with beer tasting.

Courtesy Avalon

Go on a river cruise in Europe

If you want to venture even farther, hop across the pond for a little cruise action. With balmy weather and blossoming flowers, spring is always a terrific time to explore the Old Continent’s winding waterways. From the Danube to the Rhone, there are myriad providers; our readers have spoken and concluded that Golden Circle Cruise Line tops the list.